Geek Squad Replacement TV- Being told I have to pony up $ for a comparable TV

I'm a home theater enthusiast with better than average tech skills in that area so really did my homework before ordering a Samsung UN65JS8500 online in Dec of 2015 as it wasn't available at my local BB, and I added an annual Geek Squad Protection Plan at that time. (It was supposed to be a 5 year plan but the website changed my selection to a 1 year. No big deal I just renew it every year.)

The TV was everything my my pre-purchase research said it would be. I couldn't have been more pleased. Skip ahead to around Sept of this year (2018) it developed power on issues where half the display would be super bright until the set warmed up and then it was fine. I scheduled a GS tech to come out and he said the T-Con board was bad and he'd order one. He did and came back within a week to install it. After it was installed he and I both noticed the edges from top to bottom and about 2 inches in were brighter than the rest of the screen. We decided to let the new board 'settle I'm for a week and see if it evened out. It didn't.

I called and made another appointment and he returned and linked the TV and his phone to someone at the Geek Squad mothership and they determined the display panel was failing and the TV would have to be replaced. Replacement was authorized and the tech provided me with the nexessary information to call the Replacement Team. Great tech by the way!!

NOTE: Before the tech returned I received an email notifying me my protection plan would be expiring on Dec 27th. The thing is that for 3 years I was paying around $74.00 a year but after using the protection plan the renewal cost would be more than doubled!!! Seriously??!!

I called the Replacement Team to begin the Replacement process. The nice young lady was polite and well informed however she told me I had to either accept a lesser specs TV, or pony up money to get one that matched the size and specifications. That is NOT how the protection plan is written. Replacement verbiage states: 1) The exact model of available, or 2) a model with comparable or better specifications, if a comparable model isn't available.

I 'wanted' the 65" Q9 but she told me I had to shell out $1200 for it. I had done research on the current Samsung models and knew the Q8 was almost as good except for a better software version so no big deal. I told her the Q8 would be fine with me and she told me I'd have to fork over $200 for that model PLUS on both models she pushed for a new Geek Squad Protection plan. I'm OK with a new protection plan but NOT spending money I don't have at the moment just because as she put it, "The TV's in 2018 have more advanced technology than 2015 so they cost more." Well duh. Technology naturally advances constantly but why should that restrict me to a lesser brand and model? My Js8500 was a $4000 model in 2015. Of course I didn't pay that much because I bought it during the holidays in 2015 but it certainly cost more than the lesser quality Samsung Q7 she tried to tell me was my only option in the Samsung model lineup!

Apologies for the long read but I need clarification before I call back the Replacement Team.

1) Why did the plan coverage renewal cost suspiciously more than double after using it for the first time in 3 years, and more importantly;

2) Why is the protection plan as it reads being so loosely interpreted to force me into a model less expensive and with sub par features than my model in question?

Re: Geek Squad Replacement TV- Being told I have to pony up $ for a comparable TV

I hope you're able to find a suitable replacement while there are still some discounts to be had with the holiday season upon us.

To give a little feedback on your two questions:

1. The cost of the renewal is determined by the insurance underwriter, and is generally going to go up the longer a product has been in the field; probability of failures increase as products reach or exceed their life cycle, etc., so the expense of covering them will also go up.

2. While you make a good point about what the terms of the contract state about criteria for choosing a replacement, the limitations of liability also state: OUR TOTAL LIABILITY UNDER THIS PLAN SHALL NOT EXCEED THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE OF YOUR COVERED PRODUCT INCLUDING TAXES.

So if you got a great deal on a high end TV, in the event that it has to be replaced, the maximum the GSP entitles you to is what you actually paid for it.

I hope that sheds some light on your questions, and hang tight, a moderator will be by soon with an official response.

Danno

While I am employed by Best Buy, I'm not able to offer official responses, and my opinions are my own.

Re: Geek Squad Replacement TV- Being told I have to pony up $ for a comparable TV

Couldn’t say it any better than Danno651 put it. That answer is spot on. The GSP provides a comparable unit exchange, up to that original price paid. Most of the time, the comparable sku is lower in price. The UN65NU8500 is one such comparable sku. If the team you have been working with is willing to get you within $200 of upgrading to a QLED from your traditional LED, I would recommend jumping on that without thinking twice. That is generally not how it is handled per the terms of the plan.

I am a Best Buy Employee, but the views that I post are my own and not that of Best Buy.***Know that I am not able to issue official responses and that my posts are only here to help before an official response is offered by a Best Buy Social Media Specialist***

Re: Geek Squad Replacement TV- Being told I have to pony up $ for a comparable TV

Oh I understand completely MTBF however you can't fault me for pointing out the timing of the rate more than doubling right immediately after I use the repair service when for 3 years it didn't change. I can see it going up 'some' but more than double?The T Con board on ebay can be bought for $55, for a brand new one, so where's the 'protection' in the plan? I'm not battling 'it is what it is' but BB employees paint an entirely different picture about the program prior to the sale.It's no secret the Geek Squad program is a huge money maker and generates almost 100% pure profit. I get the upsell and push.

That said, I'm not looking for a free latest and greatest TV. More so rather I'm trying to help BB streamline their program and bring the sales staff in line with the realities of the letter of the program as it's currently written.

Re: Geek Squad Replacement TV- Being told I have to pony up $ for a comparable TV

Hi Danno. Thank you for replying.<br>You highlighted my chagrin exactly. The GS Replacement Team rep tried to gently and nicely offer up a replacement option that was over $1800 less than my gear in question, and it had way lesser specs...despite having more 'evolved' design. <br><br>As for taking advantage of holiday shopping bargains, she told me I couldn't take advantage of that. The monetary value of replacement models she said were within the parameters of the JS8500 of mine couldn't be applied to holiday discount pricing. As a matter of fact, and as I said in my initial post, she said I would have to cough up an additional $1200 to get the Samsung Q9 65" but it's currently available from the manufacturer for $2999. I know good and well I paid around $2700 for my Sammy 8500 so there begins my frustration. Heck, even when I told her the Q8 would be comparable she told me I'd have to pay $200 out of pocket PLUS she pushed the protection plan for the Q8 so yeah, no win there either.<br><br>As I understand the program as it was explained to me when I dropped over $10,000 for an entire home theater purchase, purchasing the GS plan would preserve and carry forward my investment dollars should I need to utilize the replacement aspect of it.<br><br>*shrug* It's maddening to be an informed consumer yet have to fight the terms of a merchants own words.

Re: Geek Squad Replacement TV- Being told I have to pony up $ for a comparable TV

Welcome to our community, and thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. It’s always a great idea to protect your purchases with a Geek Squad Protection (GSP) plan, especially for something so valuable as a home theater system. I can understand having a bit of sticker shock after discovering the cost to renew your GSP plan was higher than expected, especially if you were previously quoted a lower cost.

It looks like @Danno651 has offered some valuable insight into your main two concerns and has left little more for me to add. One thing I’d like to underscore is that once you choose a replacement product, your GSP plan would be considered fulfilled, and you’d need to purchase a new GSP plan for continued coverage on your new TV.

I hope this helps. If you have any further questions or concerns, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Sam|Retired Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate Give Kudos if you like this post or Accept as Solution if it answers your query!

Re: Geek Squad Replacement TV- Being told I have to pony up $ for a comparable TV

Thank you for your reply.By the by...It's a UN65JS8500 not a UN65NU8500. I fully intend to pony up a couple hundred buck for a QLED because hey, nothing is free in Life. I said in too many words what the BB reps said prior to the sale, which flies in the face of the written policy for product replacement. It's just frustrating to learn after the fact the realities as opposed to what sales reps say when they in fact should know the terms and conditions verbatim. It isn't just me who thinks this, the internet and consumer complaint sites are rife with people who feel my pain. All because sales reps aren't accurately setting realistic expectations.As for a comparable replacement my point as I stated it was the replacement team rep gently but firmly tried to push me into a replacement that currently lists for thousands less, which is fine if it shared equal or better specs than my current JS8500, but they didn't. And I tried to raise the point of holiday pricing for the Q9, which I could have with a couple hundred dollars added, but she told me 'they' don't go by holiday pricing and I'd have to fork over $1600! That's over 50% of the current cost of the Q9 from the manufacturer, and a far cry from coming close to the amount I paid for the JS8500.As I said I don't expect a 1:1 replacement, even though that's how the GS plan was explained to me, but come on...$1600 more for the 2018 prime product when my defective set was the 2015 prime product and cost me more then than the Q9 today?In a nutshell I would be tickled to get the Q8 as a minimum comparable replacement for just a few hundred bucks out of pocket...who wouldn't? I'm just trying to shine a light on the wildly swinging disparity between what reps say vs the letter of the program.Thank you and Merry Christmas.

Re: Geek Squad Replacement TV- Being told I have to pony up $ for a comparable TV

Welcome back to the forums. Sam isn’t available just now, so I’ll be hopping in to help you out.

As discussed above, under the Terms & Conditions of our Geek Squad Protection Plans, when a product needs to be swapped out, it will be replaced with a unit with comparable performance, up to the original purchase price.

The folks on our exchange team are set up to help find the right replacement, so I would encourage you to continue working with them to try and find a solution that works for you. They are best positioned to look into the details of the television that is being replaced and find the best replacement.

If there are any particular features the replacement they are suggesting does not have, please let them know the specific issues you have with the suggestion. I’m sure they’ll be happy to go over any concerns you have.

If you have any other questions, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Kyle R|Senior Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate Give Kudos if you like this post or Accept as Solution if it answers your query!